The Journey to Real with Madison Lovely
BY: MADISON LOVELY @madisonroselovely
With the appetite for fall stirring in the air and coercing all of us to break out our leathers almost
a month too early, I think there’s so much to be said about the seasons and how it brings out
newness in people.
Clothes allow us to be individuals, whether I’m pairing my oversized jeans with a patent leather
boot and a new haircut, or I’m wearing my favorite sweater of the last 5 seasons. Often clothes
are a status update for anyone who comes in contact with us-whether we mean for it or not.
But along with dressing the way I want, a way that brings out my confidence, here’s something
else I’ve started doing.
I’ve started a new wave. A new disarming Joy. A new accessory that can’t go out of season or out of style. “Get some SO good in your life.”
How many public places do you walk into and the person taking your order, checking you out,
escorting you to your table, ubering you to your girls night out, or getting you a dressing room
asks “How are you?”
And most of the time it’s a courtesy question simply because we’ve trained our society to be
little islands of one; to not dig deeper. Like clothes, people need to layer don’t you think? There
needs to be a little more depth to our day to day interactions.
So when you get asked this everyday question, MOST of the time what is the answer?
“I’m good.”
“I’m fine.”
“Doing okay. Thanks.”
Or, the most common I have found-no response at all. *cue Jim looking off into the camera from
The Office look*
Recently I found myself in a public place being asked the question, “How are you?”
And as the question was asked, a smile leaped upon my face. And I thought to myself candidly,
“Actually…I’m so good!”
And that is exactly what came out of my mouth.
“So good!” I replied.
By the reaction on the persons face you would’ve thought that I had just told them I won the
lottery.
“SO good?” They said. “You don’t hear many people who are SO good! I love that response!”
THIS MOMENT STARTED A RIPPLE EFFECT FOR ME.
A ripple effect of making that my response whenever
the questions prompts me, and as I’ve done this, the countless reactions I have received have
lived up to the expectations of the first.
But what is there not to rejoice about?
Why does the joy in my voice or on my face catch people MORE off guard than if I were to be
walking around angry or sad?
Why has our world grown accustom to the color blue in our hearts and on our faces?
Yet the contagiousness of sunshine and joy causes us to almost put sunglasses on!
As I thought about this I realized something that needs to be disarmed and disassembled;
happiness, true authentic happiness, whether it be in the form of my personal state of mind, the
confidence I have wearing my clothes, or my attitude, happiness has become intimidating to a
world that frequents negativity and shallow responses.
We as a generation are more inclined to boast of our winnings on social media, but when it
comes to spreading true joy in person it almost seems like a burden we don’t have time for.
More like a way of life we don’t MAKE time for.
So I challenge you-get some SO good around you. Let’s see what new chapters our own joy can write for us and those around us.
Copyright 2018 Madison Rose Lovely